In many parts of the world, children are responsible for providing water for the entire family, spending several hours walking and carrying heavy jerry cans that can weigh over 20 kilograms. Along the way, they run the risk of being attacked, and many of them do not attend school or play with their friends, or have a normal childhood as a consequence. This is why it is so important to have a source of drinking water at home or as close as possible.
Approximately 700 children die every day from diseases related to the lack of clean water and adequate sanitation. In regard to education, only 1 out of every 3 schools in the world has adequate water and sanitation facilities. In fact, in only 40 countries worldwide do schools (half of them) have adequate sanitation facilities for girls. The lack of such facilities reduces school performance and attendance.
What is more, gender is a factor related to water access: women and girls around the world spend 200 million hours each day trying to find water, a time they should spend studying and playing.
Future forecasts are not reassuring: some 600 children worldwide, 1 in 4, will live in areas with very limited water resources by 2040. The poorest children will be the most affected, while climate change worsens the already existing water crisis.
Source: UNICEF
